Why 6-state Kishau pact gives bragging rights to CM Sukhu before Himachal polls

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh has hailed the agreement on the proposed Kishau multipurpose dam project as a significant milestone, emphasizing that his government has safeguarded the state’s interests by ensuring no financial burden for the Rs 15,624-crore project. Signed on September 15 by six states – Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi – the agreement ended years of disputes over financing and implementation, which was proposed on the Tons river along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.

The pact carries political weight in Himachal Pradesh, which is the lone Congress-ruled state among the six signatories, five of which are governed by the BJP. Sukhu leverages the agreement to showcase his government’s successful negotiations with the Center and the BJP-ruled states to protect the financial and resource interests of Himachal Pradesh.

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has capitalized on the pact through government hoardings featuring large photographs of Sukhu, positioning it as a triumph of his tenure. Sukhu further argues that the project, which will generate power for the region, also benefits other states using its water resources, justifying why the state should not bear the costs.

The BJP, however, disputes the claims, attributing the progress of the project to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s leadership, as they eased the path to construction. The BJP contends that the earlier 50:50 cost-sharing agreement, which the previous Congress government in Himachal Pradesh agreed to, was not negotiated effectively by the Sukhu government during its tenure.

The current agreement, according to the BJP, shifts the financial burden entirely to the Centre, with the project’s cost expected to rise over time.